


Imperfection Is Beautiful

by Hoziest



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Autistic Castaspella (She-Ra), Autistic Entrapta (She-Ra), Autistic Imp (She-Ra), Canon Autistic Character, Canon Disabled Character, Castaspella (She-Ra) Has ADHD, Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Disabled Character, Disabled Character of Color, Disabled Hordak, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, Getting Together, Glimmer (She-Ra) Has ADHD, Glimmer (She-Ra) is a Good Friend, Hordak (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Horde Prime (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, Multi, Other, Protective Adora (She-Ra), Scorpia (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra)'s A+ Parenting, Soft Hordak (She-Ra), fuck prime and shadow weaver
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27224329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hoziest/pseuds/Hoziest
Summary: 23 year old Hordak has been free from his manipulative, controlling brother for a year now. At an event for his younger brother's school, he meets one of the volunteers, one he hasn't met before. As his brother forms a quick attachment to her, he finds himself feeling something he hasn't felt in a long time: understood. His past comes to catch up to him, but he thinks he can make it through this time, and make amends with some long-left friends.
Relationships: Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Emily & Entrapta (She-Ra), Entrapta & Glimmer (She-Ra), Entrapta & Imp (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Hordak & Imp (She-Ra), Kyle/Lonnie/Rogelio (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1 - Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Reference to abuse, death, eugenics, ableism, and vomiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! I plan to update this every Monday (shh I haven't slept yet so it's still Monday), and I'm very excited to bring this idea to life!

Hordak Horde wakes up before his alarm, and immediately is hit with a realization. _It’s been 1 year_. 1 year since what he refers to only as The Fight. One year since he could get away from his older brother, fleeing and bringing his younger one to safety. One year since he could start his new life, a new life without the constant fear, pain, and numbness of his old one.

Despite being 22 at the time, he was still living with older brother, referred to in the house exclusively as Horde Prime (unless you wanted a beating, of course), because he refused to give him any of the funds he was left by their parents, save for the bare minimum to pay rent to force him to stay in the same house. 6 years since their parents had died, 6 years where his main focus shifted from whatever young boys think about to one main goal: keep Imp safe. Imp was his younger brother, the youngest of the Horde family, only barely 6 at the time, and should Hordak be unavailable the main target for Horde Prime's rage. He shamelessly and verbally believed in eugenic superiority, meaning the two were nothing more than parasites in his eyes.

Hordak was long ago diagnosed with many medical issues, his chronic pain meaning he used leg braces more often than not, and it wasn't uncommon for him to have another mobility aid, especially at times where he needed to move around more. None of that was helped after his parents' car accident; he was the only survivor but sustained severe damage to his forearms and back, rendering them downright impossible to use on the worst of days. On top of a long list of allergies, he had difficulties digesting nutrients in food, and by the age of 12 it was just about a daily occurrence for him to puke up anything in his system. That problem had become less frequent in his adulthood, now that he had a jejunal feeding tube and better comprehension to what he was intolerant to, but it was still something "undesirable" in his brother's eyes. His disdain only grew when Imp, only 2 years old, was diagnosed autistic. To this day he was mostly nonverbal, communicating purely through echolalia, and his eye-catching and often loud stimming was just about the worst thing imaginable to the ableist-eugenist Horde brother. For once, Hordak was happy to be disabled, for it shifted the attention away from the child ( _just a **child**_ ).

The Fight began much as many did recently, Horde Prime was angry that Kadroh (Hordak's twin brother, the only worthy one in Horde Prime's eyes) had left. He had received an incredible job offer, one he couldn't refuse (despite wanting to, in order to protect his brothers), that meant he needed to move halfway across the world, in central Europe, and had little to no communication. He decided the best way to deal with this anger was to take it out on Hordak, blaming him for driving away "the only center of hope in this goddamned house." Imp had gotten distressed (understandably so) as his beloved brother was beaten, and his feelings spiralled out of control until he found himself in a meltdown. Horde Prime sneered at the cowering adult, ordering him to "take care of _that_ " as he left the house.

2 hours later, he received a call from the police department; his brother had gotten into a bar fight, and he hadn't made it out.

Hordak didn't care if it made him a bad person; when he heard the news, he wept, not of grief but joy because _he was finally free_. He immediately worked to bring himself and Imp to a better way of life: sold his childhood home and anything he didn't need nor want, bought another place nearer to a specialty school, one that worked with autistic kids and had good reviews from students and parents alike (the Hordes were a rather wealthy family, so financial stress, luckily, wasn't much of an issue once he had access to his bank account, as well as his parents’ and brother's inheritance), took an offer that he had been given (and told to refuse by his brother, luckily he hadn't yet) by a design firm, and changed any and all legal documents as quickly as he could. He and Imp had been living happily in their small house since, now with the promise of safety and little comforts.

He was jarred from his thoughts by his alarm going off, reminding him to get himself and Imp ready for the day. He got up (with little difficulty; small blessings) and walked to the next room over to rouse the small child.

They got ready as normal; cereal for breakfast, dressing Imp and working for him to brush his teeth, doing his hair, then listening to music on the couch for a bit while Hordak readied himself. They got into the car, buckling the child into his harness seat belt and driving to Etheria's School For Autism, ESFA.

They pulled up and walked inside, greeting the woman at the desk.

"Good morning, Spinerella."

"Good morning Hordak! Imp!" The plump woman exclaimed, reaching over the desk so Imp could tap her hand (his preferred method of showing affection, he wasn't one for hugs most of the time). "Tossa should be out in just a minute!"

Netossa was Spinerella's wife, and Imp's one-on-one para at the school. True to form, the short, dark skinned woman came out not long after, holding out her hand so Imp could tap her as well, waving to Hordak as she led the child to the music room for his first lesson.

Walking back to the car, Hordak went over his schedule for the day. The firm allowed him to work from home, and he was ahead of schedule for his current project. Imp would be at school for the next 6 hours, and then would be picked up by his normal babysitters. Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio, a polyamorous couple down the street, had been the first to greet the newcomers when they moved in. Lonnie and Rogelio worked with various school districts, Lonnie working with phy ed departments and Rogelio with various ASL classes (the tall man, being mute himself, was coerced into volunteering with his girlfriend at one event, and had been working with students since), while Kyle worked in computer programming. Since he worked from home and his partners worked school hours, they had offered to babysit and be "unofficial respite workers" whenever Hordak needed, often picking Imp up after school until around dinnertime, when Hordak had the highest concentration of meetings. Really, the only thing he needed to do was pack for a fundraising event that ESFA was hosting that weekend, Imp's was already done but he forgot to ready his own things amidst working on a dress idea he had come up with.

Overall, the day was peaceful and normal, just how the two liked it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot of backstory stuff, and I changed a few things if you read Amusement Parks (mainly that Prime died instead of going to jail, it just fit better), and I'm excited to get this out there for y'all!


	2. Chapter 2 - The Assistant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ESFA's event results in a new friendship between Hordak and his assistant for the weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Mention of ABA therapy, anxiety

The 2 hour car ride to the ESFA Lakeside Event was pretty standard for the two; a few crying fits from Imp but overall fairly relaxed. A good sign, Hordak had a bit of a headache, nothing too bad and fairly normal but annoying nonetheless. After finally finding a parking spot that was relatively close to the dock that the first day of the event took place on, they got out, Hordak foregoing his crutches for now since he would have to check into the hotel soon. They got into line, greeting the principal Angella Brightmoon (the second principal of the school, her father had built it soon after her sister was diagnosed autistic as it became apparent that public school wouldn't work for Castaspella Brightmoon) as they signed in and going to the next counter to get an assistant. Most of the families didn't need a para for the events, but Hordak was one of the few who did, as his injuries and chronic illness left him unable to run after his brother all hours of the day.

They were met by a woman around Hordak's age, with magenta hair down to her waist, long purple coveralls that went over her sandals, underneath which was a white tee shirt, and fingerless gloves, that all had Hordak wondering how she wasn't getting heat stroke.

"Hello!" The woman greeted cheerfully, her voice slightly nasally. "Are you Hordak and Imp Horde?" She looked at her clipboard as she said their names, glancing back up and grinning widely as the man nodded. "Great! I'm Entrapta, I'll be your assistant for the day! I know families usually like to get to know us if they don't already, we can sit down over there and introduce ourselves!"

Her hand patted her thigh as she spoke, and that's when Hordak noticed the golden retriever sitting next to her in a service vest. Imp gasped and waved; going to a special needs school he recognized the vest and knew he couldn't pet the dog, but he was still ecstatically jumping and humming and waving at it as they moved to a nearby picnic table (luckily in the shade).

"I don't believe I've seen you at the school. Are you a new hire?" Hordak asked as they sat down at the round table; he preferred to know well the people who were going to be helping him about, especially since she was there for the whole weekend. She sat across from him, and Imp between them, sitting criss cross on the bench and stimming happily. She startled a bit as he let out a loud yelp, but just smiled and began fiddling with one of the cords tied to the service vest.

"Oh no, I've been working there since I was 16! Not as a teacher though, the Brightmoons are family friends so Micah was delighted to have help with some programming things! I usually help in Occupational and Speech therapy, teaching the students how to use devices like communication tablets and such! I haven't seen Imp yet though, does he go to a private therapist?"

"Yes, he's been with his current Speech and Occupational therapists since before he joined the school," he'd also been going to ABA therapy, which Hordak stopped as soon as he had the legal standing to do so, "so I thought it best to keep with them instead of switching once he came under my custody."

She, thankfully, didn't ask about the change in custody, instead changing conversation topics quickly (but not awkwardly). "Oh, I forgot to really introduce myself! I think I already said I'm Entrapta, and this is Emily!" She gestured widely to the dog at her side. "As I'm sure you can guess, she's my service dog! We've worked together for just over a year now! There's very few families I can qualify as assistant for, considering I'm autistic myself and, while fully qualified I assure you, most that need a para when they have multiple kids, which I can't handle. Angella said you'd be a good match for me though, considering you only have one and, I'm assuming, need help due to your own mobility problems!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the braces that were showing under the shin-length skirt that Hordak was wearing (he usually preferred skirts and dresses, they were easier to get over his braces), before she backtracked a bit. "Sorry if that was insensitive, I'm told I can be too blunt."

"It's quite alright," Hordak assured (that was one of the least awkward ways _anyone_ has mentioned his injuries), "and yes. I will need to leave eventually for around 15 minutes to check into our hotel, and for the rest of the day I'll be on my crutches. Imp is quite a wild one, but I can't chase after him all day. I don't want to inhibit his fun, however, which is why I enlist the help of someone such as yourself."

"Okay, great! I can work with that, doing all the active stuff! For the more technical questions, Netossa told me he communicates solely through echolalia, correct?"

"Correct?" The boy answered in lieu of his brother.

"Well, that answers that question!" Entrapta laughed. "Are there any sensitivities I should know of? Things he can't stand to hear, touch, see, et cetera, or any allergies?"

"He doesn't bode well with loud noises, however I have his headphones in the bag, and he knows how to get to the music he wants himself. He's distrustful when the ground below him isn't stable, he might get anxious on the dock and need to walk around the parking lot for a bit. He'll eat just about anything, and so far I appear to be the only sibling to inherit our mother's allergies," he joked, delighted when she gave a soft snort as she played the tabletop game with Imp, a set of ball bearings in a maze behind a sheet of plastic that could be moved with a magnetic pen type thing, "and he can't stand bright lights, the sunglasses should handle that though. Anything else that could come up, likely I will be there with you to help him."

"Alright, good! Now, you mentioned checking in, why don't you do that and I'll take Imp to the cabana!" Hordak nodded and watched as she led the boy down to the other end of the dock onto the beach and nodding in approval when she took Imp's hand as he began eying the water warily, drawing his attention to a zipper on Emily's vest and distracting him with it until they got to the stairs off. Once they were out of view, he went back to the parking lot, got into the car, and drove to their hotel.

True to his word, he pulled up again 15 minutes later, now in a pair of loose shorts and the same gray shirt he was wearing earlier, crutches straps fastened around his forearms. He moved quickly through the crowd on the dock and down to the beach, reaching the cabana he had rented and watching Imp play in the water (still in his clothes, not that Hordak was surprised, he brought extras for a reason). He noticed Entrapta look back, coveralls now in the cabana as she wore only her swimsuit bottoms under the shirt, and yell out to Imp, who promptly turned back and ran to his big brother, tapping his knee and spinning around in pure joy.

"I see you've discovered his love of the water," Hordak commented as he took off the boy's shirt and began slathering on sunscreen (much to his begrudgement, if his squirming and repeating of "love of water" had anything to say).

"Bugger ran in before we'd even gotten all the way here. He's already got swim shorts on so I didn't bother trying to coax him out."

"I do the same, that's why he's wearing them already," the man chuckled.

The rest of the day carried on just as calmly, Hordak taking his leg braces off to get into the water a bit with the other two, and all of them ordering lunch to eat in the cabana. Hordak tried to pay for Entrapta's, seeing as she was working right now practically for free, but she refused, insisting that their lunch was paid for in their salaries and even if it wasn't, she had a freelance mechanics job along with ESFA and inheritance from her parents so it really wasn't a problem (he was glad that she seemed uncaring, or unknowing, enough about social taboos such as talking about incomes; he got her talking about her mechanics for awhile and it really was interesting. His job may be in fashion and design, but he very much had an appreciation for physics and chemistry that he so rarely got to talk to anyone about). The afternoon was filled with more swimming, sandcastles, and chatter between Hordak and Entrapta, who were quickly considering each other friends (a strange concept, for the two rather isolated adults).

The walk back to the parking lot was a bit difficult, Imp was getting overstimulated and was _not_ having the instability of the dock, so Hordak ended up carrying him (Entrapta was kind enough to take his crutches) when the tears began.

As it turns out, the Hordes and Entrapta were on the same floor of the hotel, just a few doors down (the woman was sharing with Glimmer Brightmoon, Angella's daughter) from eachother, so they decided to meet up at breakfast the next day for convenience and bid each other goodnight.

As he drifted off to sleep, Hordak realised that, despite having had assistants at past events, he'd never connected with them as much as with Entrapta. He wondered if this is what true friendship was like, and eventually fell into unconsciousness with a soft smile on his face.

Entrapta was whining at Glimmer, who was giggling at the fact that _she just **had** to get a crush on the man she was working with for the weekend_. "SHUT UP GLIMMER! It's not like you and Bow were much better!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castaspella has autism and ADHD and Glimmer also has ADHD I make the rules and these are my rules.


	3. Chapter 3 - Surfing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of the event, Hordak spends not even a moment on a new realization. It'll pass, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Food mention

The next day, Imp decided to wake up at 3 am, much to Hordak's disgruntlement. It wasn't _rare_ for the young boy to sleep poorly, but he was hoping the excitement of the previous day would help that. It didn't, to say the least, so they were stuck awake in the room for the next 3 hours until the breakfast bar open. It also meant that Hordak had a headache, not particularly _bad_ per se, but annoying and he couldn't ignore it like he could with his more consistent pain.

Luckily, the hotel TV had one of Imp's favorite shows, so they were able to relax a bit in the early morning until the boy started complaining about being hungry. Hordak unhooked himself from his feeding tube, throwing away the empty bag and supplies, and they left for breakfast (both still in pyjamas, it's not like they really cared enough to get ready yet). They saw a pink haired woman down the hall, yelling into a room (presumably hers), and Entrapta came out soon after in leggings and a large tee shirt. Upon seeing the woman he spent the whole of yesterday playing with, Imp ran up excitedly.

"Hey there Imp! Good morning! Where's Hordak? You shouldn't be running off alone," she commented, earning a comment from the other girl that sounded a lot like "hypocrite" and elbowing her in the side in retaliation.

"Ah, I'm right here. We were about to go to breakfast, care to join us?"

"Yeah, sure! Oh, this is Glimmer Brightmoon!" Entrapta exclaimed, gesturing toward the other woman.

"You must be the Horde's then, nice to meet you! Are you reAA-" she was cut off as a brown skinned boy came up behind her, hoisting her over his shoulder, much to Imp's delight. "Bow!"

"Hey Entrapta! You've gotta be the Horde's, right? I'm Bow, Glimmer's boyfriend. Nice to meet you!" With that, he turned to lead the way to the elevator, still holding his girlfriend like a sack of potatoes.

"That's normal for them. C'mon, you've gotta be hungry to head out so early!"

Breakfast passed in a calm affair, the group of 5 sitting together with some more of Entrapta's friends, a couple named Mermista and Sea Hawk who volunteered to help with the aquatic activities (after being begged by Entrapta and Glimmer). They didn't seem to mind the new additions to the group, carrying on casually yet making sure to include the two.

"What's on the schedule for today again?" Glimmer asked, nibbling on a chocolate muffin she stole from her boyfriend.

"Surfing, finally," Replied the ever-bored-seeming Mermista.

"It shall be a joyous activity! Imp, do you like to surf?" Sea Hawk asked excitedly, seemingly the polar opposite of his girlfriend. The boy in question just tilted his head to the side, leaving Hordak to answer for him.

"He's never done it before. At least, not on the water, though he used to play around on our brother Kadroh's board in the garage."

"Kadroh!" Imp exclaimed in delight, glad to be talking about his other brother, who he didn't see much in person these days.

"You have another brother?" Entrapta asked, having taken thorough advantage of the waffle making station and having a few dozen bite-sized waffles.

"Yes, he and I are twins. He moved for work awhile ago, before Imp and I moved closer to the school, but we still keep in contact as much as we can."

The conversation carried on until they were finished, and they all went back to their rooms to get ready for the day. They decided to ride in the same car, to save on gas money and for convenience, so they piled into Sea Hawk's minivan among the surfboards (Imp was very pleased that Emily wasn't wearing her vest so he could pet her, flicking around her soft floppy ears and squealing every once in awhile).

As they got to the beach they were on yesterday, they split into small groups. Sea Hawk and Entrapta were helping Imp to surf, Mermista and Bow were supervising the group of surfers as a whole (most, if not all, which were from Imp's school), and Glimmer and Hordak staying on land to help direct parents where to go (since Hordak couldn't surf and didn't want to get in the water with the high chance of being crashed into, and Glimmer was still recovering from a recent shoulder injury). They mostly stayed close to Entrapta's group, so Hordak could keep an eye on Imp, but she and Sea Hawk very obviously knew what they were doing, so he wasn't too worried. At one point, when he looked over to see Imp sitting on the board going over waves with Emily swimming next to him, he caught Entrapta's eye and they shared a look, before her attention was brought back to the child.

He noticed the small fluttery feeling at her bright smile once she saw him, but he brushed it off. He didn't have the time to develop feelings, especially not this weekend. Besides, she certainly could do better than _him_ (he could practically hear Kadroh scolding his self deprecating thoughts). He shook his head and went back to lead a group to Bow so they could surf. He could dwell on that later, right now he just wanted to enjoy himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short and might be a bit sloppy but my chronic pain is acting up and the meds haven't kicked in yet SO this is what you get, I might write some oneshots later anyways (not She Ra ones though, I don't have any good ideas for some). Am I projecting onto Hordak because he canonically _also_ has chronic pain? Very much yes he gets to join me in suffering.


	4. Chapter 4 - Popping Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is more important than it might seem I promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: None  
> Sorry to come back after two weeks with just a filler chapter BUT after this is where it kicks off a bit more and we meet more characters (including Scorpia, Catra, and Adora :>)

The rest of the trip passed similarly, Hordak and Entrapta (and Imp) growing closer together as time passed, her even offering to push his wheelchair when they were invited to dinner by Frosta (a friend of Imp's, though she was much older Hordak had worked with her mother and the two were the closest of friends), of which he gladly accepted. He also got to know Mermista and Sea Hawk a bit better, though the woman was surely reluctant to make interaction and the man was quite... energetic, for his tastes.

Eventually, the trip had to end, but the purple haired woman had given him her number before she left and they texted frequently. They also saw each other more often at the school; one of the internet systems were bugging so she had been working closer to the front doors more often, and always waved Hordak hello and received a "squish" from Imp. She had shown it to him one day while they were surfing, she placed both her hands flat around the boy's and pressed them together so his was sandwiched in the middle. Since then it had mostly replaced his tapping, and even his brother (who, due to his height, had to bend down for the boy to comfortably reach his hands and couldn't always, due to his back) got them to his lower thighs just above his knees. He also asked for them, something he never did with the tapping. He'd walk up to someone, usually Hordak, Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio, or Netossa, and squished the closest part of them (usually their arms) before pointing to whichever part he wanted them to squish. It was almost like a hug sometimes, and while all of them were happy to give Imp affection in whatever way he was comfortable with, it was nice to have a clear way to tell _when_ and _where_ he wanted physical touch, since he didn't always answer when asked, especially during sensory overloads and meltdowns when he was more prone to wanting even hugs.

Things had been looking up for the Hordes, and everyone around them could tell how much one woman had changed their lives.

She even got Hordak to agree to something he never had before.

Entrapta: hey hordak!

Hordak: Hello Entrapta, what's been going on with you?

Entrapta: nothing much, still working on the routers, we know what's wrong but it's hard to fix

Entrapta: oh, also! i have some people coming over for a get together at my house! not too many, just a few good friends, and i was wondering if you would come! mermista and sea hawk will be there, so youll know a few people that arent me, and you can leave whenever you need to, for health reasons or for imp! will you come? 

Hordak: When is the gathering? 

Entrapta: it's on friday, at my friend perfuma's apartment! she offered to host, i can send you the address! 

Hordak: Let me check in with my babysitters, I believe they mentioned wanting to bring Imp somewhere then anyways. 

After confirming it with Rogelio, Hordak texted back that he'd be delighted to come, even if he couldn't guarantee being able to stay very long. After getting a confirmation from the woman (mostly a ton of exclamation marks, with a "thank you" sprinkled in like she'd forgotten to say it), he sighed and lied back in the large bed, ready to sleep now that he'd finally gotten Imp down. 

He changed and took his meds before climbing back under the covers, drifting off and dreaming about the possibility of sharing the suddenly cold bed with another warm figure. A warm figure with brown skin and pink hair. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, Entrapta doesn't call it a party because it doesn't fit her definition of what one would be (ie music, dancing, drinks, etc., possibly a cake as well) and Hordak doesn't because he has a very different association with "party" that will come up in a few chapters hehehe. I've actually planned out the rest of this book so I'm no longer just winging it and struggling with a blank slate the next week!


	5. Chapter 5 - Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party time reveals some not-so-new people to meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: None  
> Sorry this took so long! Time caught up with me, I started my first "real" (ie non-nannying) job which has been really great! But it took some time to get used to, so aside from a few oneshots I haven't been writing much. Hopefully I'll be back on schedule now though!

"I don't remember hiring you for dressing advice."

"I know, I'm doing it for free, how lucky for you," Lonnie replied with just as much snark.

"Hm, how ironic, last I checked _I_ am the fashion designer."

"Last _I_ checked you were freaking out on how to dress for a party since you've never been to one, especially since you were invited by your _girlfriend_." Hordak shot her an infamous Horde glare, and she smirked but relented.

"I didn't exactly have much _time_ for parties."

"I hear you, we were in the same boat, remember?" They had only recently discovered a connection that the throuple had with the Horde's, one that brought sour memories to them all, but it also left them better understanding each other. "Anyways, I know there isn't a _chance_ you'll let me touch your hair, so we'll go now. Imp can stay with us for the night, no trouble, yeah?"

"I suppose that would be favorable." With that, the young woman left, heading downstairs to meet her boyfriends as well as the boy that they were watching while Hordak styled his hair as he preferred. He gave a quick goodbye to his brother, getting into his car and programming his GPS to the address that Entrapta had texted him.

When he came toward the apartment, it was fairly quiet, though Entrapta had said there would only be around 10 people there, including them, Mermista, Sea Hawk, Glimmer, and Bow. He knocked, and it opened to a petite woman wearing a flowy dress and flower crown. "Hi, you must be Hordak! I'm Perfuma, pleasure to meet you!" Ah, this must be the woman who owned the apartment. "Dear, could you tell Entrapta that her plus one arrived?"

"Yeah, of course! Oh nice to-" they stared at each other in shock for a minute. It hadn't been too long since they'd seen each other last, the woman still was near his height, with white hair in an undercut, though her arm braces were much more practical now, and she could move better in them just in the little he'd seen of her.

"Hello, Scorpia," he said after a beat, awkwardly standing in front of one of the people he had a deep, _complicated_ past with.

"Oh, um, hey Hordak! Nice to see you again!" She moved along awkwardly to go find Entrapta, both of them ignoring Perfuma's confused look. The blond woman lead him in to the living room, where he took a seat (trying to make it as less noticeable as possible how relieving it was to get off his feet) near where Sea Hawk and Bow were having a lively conversation, girlfriends watching along in amusement (thinly shielded, in Mermista's case). Entrapta emerged from the kitchen with a few finger sandwiches on a plate.  
"Hordak! It's great that you could come! You've already met everyone here, pretty much, since the other two are a bit late." They conversed for awhile, briefly touching on the meeting with Scorpia before deflecting onto something else. After about half an hour, Entrapta checked her phone and mentioned that the last two guests were there. She got up to greet them, Hordak (significantly slower, he's realizing he shouldn't have gone shopping that morning, he was tired) following but heading to the kitchen, waving away the magenta haired woman's concerned look.

He was facing the sink, filling a glass with water, when the door opened and two voices chatting stopped suddenly. He turned to see what the issue was, but when he saw who the two newcomers were that came in with the woman who invited him, he froze as well.

If the air was thick when he and Scorpia saw each other, this was a thousand times worse. The tension was thick enough that you could cut it with a knife, and even Entrapta, who was often very oblivious to social cues, noticed the three staring at each other.

Adora, as always, was the first to break the silence. "H-hey, Hordak." She sounded hesitant, like she wasn't sure what to expect (though she probably wasn't, the last time they saw each other he was starting to give in and be more like Prime, and was much more hostile), and he took a moment to appreciate how she'd grown in the years since they last saw each other.

While Scorpia had been in contact with him more recently, he knew Adora and Catra much better. Once upon a time, before Imp was even born, they'd been almost like little sisters to him, and he was glad they had a chance to grow away from that toxic environment.

"Hello Adora, Catra. It's...nice to see you again. It's been too long."

"Yeah, huh," the blond chuckled lightly, as the woman next to her (Hordak wondered if they were finally dating, their body language indicated as such) clutched her biceps, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Those two especially, had, well, a _lot_ that happened last time they saw each other.

"Hey Hordak," Catra whispered.

"Uh, you guys know each other?" Ever so blunt, Entrapta ran her finger over the bridge of her nose, a stim she often did while trying to figure something out.

"Yeah, yes, we have, um, history, I guess you could say."

Catra snorted. "That's one way to put it."

"What kind of history?"

"Can we talk about this later? It's not exactly a light matter, nor one appropriate for the party." The brown skinned woman looked him up and down, before nodding. Adora stiffly gave him her number, saying they should reach out and talk about, _that_ , sometime, before she and Catra hurried out of the kitchen, and Hordak slumped into the counter. He winced as his knees bent at an unstable angle, and Entrapta noticed immediately.

"Legs giving you issues?"

"A bit, I went shopping earlier, must've pushed myself more than I thought. Luckily, Imp's babysitters already offered to have him stay overnight."

"You should come to my place!" He gave her a confused, but amused, face at the announcement. "I walked here, so there's no problem taking your car, it's closer, _and_ I know for a fact that you keep anything you'd need tonight in your trunk, including medical stuff. I mean, when was the last time you stayed at a friend's house?"

"I... well, I don't believe I ever had. I didn't exactly _have_ friends growing up."

"Me neither," she responded with a sigh. Not of sadness, or anger, more tired contempt, before perking right back up. "Well, there's a first time for everything!"


	6. Chapter 6 - Knowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Child abuse, ableism, homophobia, racism, violence, implied ABA-ish type therapy

The drive to Entrapta's apartment was rather peaceful. They didn't speak, both preferring to listen to the music while the woman ran her hands over the handiwork of the car, and when they arrived they brought up Hordak's things and settled with some hot chocolate. Hordak took off his braces as they entered the premises, needing a break and trusting Entrapta to be respectful of his more-fragile state, and knowing that, as a service dog, Emily surely knew better than to jump up on him. He noticed the woman fiddling with the handle of her mug, biting her lip, appearing like she wanted to say something. He was about to ask her when she sighed and bit the bullet.

"Can I ask you something, Hordak?" She stared down at her lap as she spoke, brushing her long magenta hair over her shoulder and behind her ear. "It's kind of... personal. At least, I assume it is."

"Sure you can, I have an assumption as to what you'll ask and I trust you enough to tell you about it."

"Well, Perfuma mentioned that you and Scorpia had kind of an awkward meeting, and seemed to know each other... and then with Adora and Catra, I saw it with my own eyes. You didn't look... happy, to see them though."

Hordak took a long sip, mulling over how he wanted to phrase this. "Hm, I suppose 'happy' wouldn't be the correct word. Relieved, perhaps. We have history, dark through no fault of our own, and I will not subject you to hearing it if you do not want to."

"... Is this why you're Imp's guardian? And why you never talk about your family besides him? They don't either, now that I think about it..."

"It is. We have what I suppose Bow would call a 'tragic backstory,' I'll share if you wish me to with no qualms but it's quite heavy."

"I want to hear it. If you're okay with telling me, that is. I want to be able to understand you, Hordak." She placed her hand on his knee, bare due to his skirt falling to the side at his sitting position.

Hordak licked his lips, moistening them to help ground himself to tell her. "My oldest brother, Prime, was... not a good person. I'm sure you've been able to pick up on hints about his abusive tendencies, toward Imp and myself. 'Work hard in order to be successful,' was always his motto." He took another sip of his cocoa.

"Ironic coming from a thieving bitch like himself." Entrapta snorted at the uncharacteristic swear, and laid her head on the taller's shoulder in support. "He worked with this, what would you call it, company? Group? Crime ring? Whatever it was, they embezzled money, conned people, did just about anything to get money, despite all of them having wealthy backgrounds. We were forced to go, expected to be a part of it one day, 'gotta make myself useful some way,' Prime would say. Even when our parents were alive, he forced us into it."

"Scorpia and I have known each other for the least amount of time. An orphan, she bounced around, even staying at our house for short periods of time. I did not always treat her the best, I'll admit, but I think she was just happy to have someone she could relate to. The group was ableist to all hell, always sneering at her and I for our lacked mobility, trying to force us to 'normalhood' through the most inhumane ways. I only knew her for about a year before my brother got himself killed in a bar fight, and I don't know how long after that she was stuck there."

"Oh my... when we met her about 10 months ago she went to Glimmer's house all beat up asking for medical aid... did she...?"

"It's likely. Usually I beared the brunt of the punishments, with Kadroh being abled, Imp being young, and her being strong, but I suppose with the two of us gone... well. My babysitters, I think I'd mentioned them to you, they were part of it as well, in a similar situation as us. A different 'branch,' per se, so we only found out recently, but from what they told us ours was the most cruel. I assume it's due to Prime and Shadow Weaver."

"Who's Shadow Weaver? And what about Catra and Adora? There seemed to be a lot more tension between you than with Scorpia."

"Shadow Weaver is, _was_ , their guardian. Another obsessively cruel woman, she subjected them to many of the same terrors my brother did, but more psychologically. Shaping Adora much as my brother tried to do with Kadroh into a future leader, she put more pressure on her than most could begin to imagine. Then Catra... well, she didn't even _want_ her, and she made it known. The two had been in a foster home together, and Adora refused to go without her. Always made comments on her darker skin, wilder hair, even with Prime right there. Though I suppose he did much the same to me, having darker skin than most of my brothers. Anyways, she faced the brunt of the abuse. I don't even think I could describe it, much less relay it, but... it was a lot." He took a deep breath, and a tear fell onto his and Entrapta's intertwined hands. The woman opened her mouth, likely to tell him he didn't need to go on, but he interrupted her.

"I'm fine. Anyways, you're correct in there being much more tension. We've known each other far longer and, well, shit happened. At one point I resented them because they had a buoy that I didn't. Kadroh saw the better part of Prime, and even though he knew how bad it could get, he didn't know specifics. We'd been kept apart so much, for so many reasons, that we weren't anywhere near as close as they were. So, I was cruel, and I hurt them. I didn't even realize it in the beginning, but by the time I did, well... I'm sure you know that Adora once lived with the Brightmoons."

"They got her out?"

"She ran away. And she left Catra behind. Now we _both_ resented her, and became even more cruel. Things we did were... unimaginable, and only stopped when Imp turned 4 and suddenly I was responsible for him too. Catra was as well in the beginning, but then Adora snuck in. They'd have these, conventions, where the entire group would go to this big house. Adora somehow found out what happened, and she got in, intending to bring us out. Kadroh and Imp were at home, attending to other wishes of Prime, but if I know anything about her she intended to get them as well."

"And you got out?" Entrapta asked hopefully, fearing what, according to other things she's noticed or been told, couldn't've been true.

"Catra did. We were caught, and I pushed them out while being dragged back by Octavia, one of the others. They outran the adults, always fast and Catra was especially good at sneaking around. I... well, I received the worst beating of my life. It was intended to be just bad enough to not have to go to the hospital, but..." he lifted his shirt, exposing his midriff and the jagged, harsh scar running to his feeding tube that certainly wasn't surgical.

"A poorly aimed hit moved my feeding tube and tore at it. Shadow Weaver, ironically enough a _doctor_ , stitched it up, but painfully to 'teach me a lesson.' I was never brought to another of the conventions again. That's the summary of my, of _our_ , past."

"Oh Hordak," Entrapta whispered in horror. She reached out to touch the scar, pulling them back and apologizing when the man flinched.

"It's quite alright," the flinch wasn't because the touch was _unwelcome_ , per se. "Anyways, I should be getting set up for my nightly feed. If you could bring me my bag, please?" He said, tying his shirt up.

"Wouldn't it be easier to get it all hooked up without your shirt on?" _Just to be helpful, definitely just to be helpful, nothing else to make her say that_.

Hordak gulped. "Well, normally I do, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"It's alright," she said, dark skin flushed red. She tried not to stare at the way his light skin perfectly contrasted with dark, how despite not being very muscular (for obvious reasons) she could see his biceps expand and contract as he moved, how he was hunched a bit to the side ( _probably why he wore that back brace_ ) yet his posture couldn't be described as anything but regal, not because of his upbringing or height but the way he demanded respect, and not out of fear. She caught herself watching his shoulders as he turned around to grab his things with a fluttering chest, going to bring their cups to the sink as one word ran through her head: _beautiful_.

"Hey Hordak, are you okay with sharing a bed? I know a lot of people associate that with romanticism, and if you're uncomfortable I can take the couch, but I have a queen and don't want you messing up your back on my creaky old sofa, and you seem like too much of a gentleman to make me take it."

"You're right about that, Entrapta, I'd hate to make my host sleep on the couch while I'm in her bed. As long as you're okay with it, I see nothing wrong with sharing."

"I don't but you should know I'm kind of... cuddly."

"So is Imp," he smirked, "I'm quite used to it. At least you're tall enough that if you kick out it won't hit me in the chest." She giggled a bit, asking Emily to bring her her meds (she could never remember where she put them, it was something she was sure to train Emily on).

They fell asleep that night, Entrapta's head pillowed on Hordak's bare chest and his hand atop her head. And when his feeding tube beeped a complaint at being crimped, she simply rolled over; keeping her legs wrapped with the other's. 

They could both get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we have their backstory! There will be more; Hordak and Catra apologizing and the three facing their demons a bit, (though I love Scorpia, she won't be included as much because, in this at least, she wasn't very involved in the drama), and not going to lie I'm really excited to write Hordak and Catra's healing processes. You might've noticed I changed the chapter numbers from 15 to 17, I changed my mind about how I wanted the end to go and included more Catradora and healing.


	7. Chapter 7 - Degrees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak and Entrapta have more in common than they thought, and we're tying in a canon event soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: None  
> Okay so my "update schedule" is pretty much just when I get a reminder to update and decide if I'm going to procrastinate it that week or not I guess. This is just a short filler but it's necessary and also sets up for a parallel to the show!

They woke up tangled together the next morning, and despite the slight embarrassment at the proximity to the one they'd been admiring for so long, neither of them felt the need to move away. They'd cuddled together while still conscious, after all. They stayed snuggled up to each other, limbs intertwined and Entrapta's head on Hordak's shoulder, and only moved when the piercing "beep" signalled the finish of Hordak's night feed. Entrapta sat up so he could move (him averting his eyes as her loose tank top slid off her shoulder, hair a mess and eyes drooping from sleep but still looking the most ethereal he'd ever seen her), but when he went to swing his legs out for better access to the machine that did all the mechanical work, he couldn't hide a wince.

"Legs giving you trouble? Is it from the get-together yesterday?"

"Hm, no, just a normal bad pain day for me, would've happened with or without the gathering."

"Well, let me get us breakfast! I usually eat in bed or in my office anyways, so you can stay and I'll bring some food here!"

"That isn't necessary, I'm able to get up myself-"

"You're _able_ but that doesn't make it _necessary_. I'm able to go into a loud room with lots of people, does that mean I should?"

"Well, no, you told me that such situations greatly distress you-"

"So you see my point! It's fine, I'm just grabbing some toaster waffles and stuff, I'll probably be back by the time you're all unhooked and everything. Trashcan's under the nightstand by the way!" With that she left, Emily trotting along behind her happily receiving ear scratches.

She was right, not long after he'd thrown everything away she came back in with plates of Eggo waffles. They conversed as they ate, learning more about each other that they hadn't yet got to.

"No, I dropped out of college. My focus was worse than ever while I was there, and since my job doesn't require a degree since I'm technically freelance, I just quit. How about you, when did you decide to get a degree in fashion design?"

"I didn't actually, I wanted a career in it if possible but I never thought to actually go to college for it. Schooling was one of the things that Prime didn't really care what I did for it, as long as I stayed at home, so I was able to get my Bachelor's in physics and Master's in chemistry."

"You majored in science?!"

"Indeed, I couldn't ever do engineering like you do, always got too frustrated with it, but physics and chemistry have set formulas that were much easier to make sense of, and I quite enjoy them."

"Actually, if you graduated in those, can you help me? I'm working on a project but one of the parts aren't working, I think the chemical reaction isn't happening correctly but I was always more focused in mechanics so I didn't know how to fix it."

"Of course, though likely not today, Imp has a psychiatry appointment this afternoon."

"That's fine, whenever you're free! You'll probably have to get your babysitters too though, I don't think he should be here while we're working, it's kinda dangerous."

"I wasn't going to bring him anyways, little thing has a knack for getting into things he shouldn't. He's pulled a TV on top of himself, you know."

"Really?!"

"Twice." The two chuckled, enjoying each other's presence until Hordak had to leave, making plans to meet up the next Thursday, and when they parted each had dopey smiles on their face and fluttery feelings in their torsos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once, the stupid story isn't something I did! My sister was the one who pulled TVs on top of herself as a toddler, apparently she didn't learn the first time


	8. Chapter 8 - Explosive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak figures out what was wrong with Entrapta's project, but not before things get a little... heated. Afterwords, they get heated again, but in a different way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Minor injury, scars, mention of abuse, food, minor implication of s/h (not c/tting)   
> Sorry for the wait! I kinda took a week off from all of my writing, and then I fell asleep halfway through writing this yesterday so I had to finish today. This chapter has a parallel with season 3 episode 2 of the show uwu.

A week after the party at Perfuma's apartment and the subsequent stay at Entrapta's, Hordak was finally able to line up a day where Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio could take Imp, _and_ that he didn't have to work.

He showed up at Entrapta's fairly early, after making sure she was awake, and as soon as she buzzed him in she was explaining the project. Honestly, Hordak was impressed how far she'd gotten in just the four or so months since she started. However, the reaction she explained worried him; if his hypothesis was correct it had the potential to be dangerous. She led him to the area of her apartment specially made to be a lab, and set up her recorder to show him. "Day 135, I have Hordak here to monitor the chemical reactions and assist in fixing dangerous errors. Here we go."

She stepped forward toward the machine and pulled the lever. For the first few moments, it seemed to work as planned, however it then started trembling and a crease appeared between her eyebrows. "That's worse than before, I have to turn it off..."

"Entrapta don't!" Just as she finished slipping on her welding mask and began to run forward, he grabbed her arm. His hypothesis appeared to be correct, which gave them not much time until-

_BOOM!_

It exploded. He was just barely able to turn her away, shield her under him as he felt the heat graze his back, impact making his arms tremble. He was wearing heavier duty equipment, the type of stuff he wore in college, that could withstand the reaction better than Entrapta's plain coveralls (in order to protect his braces and medical equipment), but he certainly wasn't prepared for this. His vision blurred a bit, and when it came back the woman below him was squirming a bit. He got off as quickly as he could manage, and turned to scold her but she cut him off.

"Sorry Hordak, I'm so sorry, oh god you knew that was gonna happen and now you're hurt because I let my impulsivity get the best of me, sorry sorry sorry-"

"Entrapta," he interrupted her rambling, lest she stress herself out and fall into an anxiety attack. "I won't say it's okay, because it's not, but you know that. I will say you don't have to apologize, I admit I suspected such an outcome and I let it continue anyways, that is my fault. It is also my fault and only my fault that I chose to protect you; I knew full well that it could hurt me minorly, _only_ minorly I assure you, and I did it anyways in order to keep you further from harms way. There is nothing to apologize for, but if you still insist I forgive you."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, which was beginning to tug on her hair, and gave her a moment to breathe. "Thanks Hordak. At least, let me get some drinks, you're shaking. I-I'll be right back!"

Once she left, he dropped what little facade he could manage to keep up. He wasn't in _pain_ particularly, not anymore than usual, but he felt weak and fatigued. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps come back, and he tried to sit up again, but his body was working against him.

"Alright, I have some fizzy drinks and- Hordak?"

"I'm quite alright, just... just, um," his eyes rolled back as he fell completely, the magenta-haired woman rushing forward to keep his head from hitting the floor.

*~*

Hordak awoke on the plush couch where he had once told Entrapta about his childhood, swathed in a blue blanket as the woman moved forward with about a dozen small cups of soup. "I know one big soup is probably better, but these ones are just so cute! Plus, you can sip straight out of them, instead of fussing with a spoon. I uh, took your braces off by the way. I hope you don't mind, they just looked so uncomfortable-"

"It's alright, thank you. For the braces and the soup."

She sat next to him and tucked her hair behind her ear, watching him worriedly. "Are you okay? You were already sitting so the fall wasn't bad, but you still passed out..."

"I'm quite alright, it happens sometimes. Still not quite sure why, but the soup should certainly help nonetheless. By the way, the reason for that reaction? Your supply of calcium phosphide must be contaminated; instead of the smaller ignition you were looking for, something else caused a surplus of hydrogen gas. Easily fixed, you'll simply need a new supply."

The corner of her lip turned up slightly. "Thanks Hordak. You really are a genius, aren't you? You figured that out before you even saw it!"

He cursed his vitiligo, the paler skin along his ears and cheeks making his blush more obvious. He hummed in thanks, draining the last of the soup and checking the time. "Well, Imp is still with his babysitters for another few hours, is there anything else you wanted? Otherwise I can leave-"

"Stay! We can watch TV or something and just hang out, we haven't gotten to do that much recently!" In response, Hordak smiled and nodded, setting the tray of bowls on the floor and leaning back into the couch. 

Entrapta looked around for a minute for the remote, when she finally saw it on the other side of the couch. She leaned over her companion for it, but as she moved back she stopped as she noticed their proximity. "Hi," she whispered, embarrassed but also buzzing under her skin, feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush.

"Hello," he whispered back, their breaths intermingling as he tried to take in her face, practically glowing in their proximity. He noticed her staring at his lips, and he absentmindedly wet them with his tongue. He heard her ever so slight intake of breath as he did so.

"Hi," she said again. "May I- um, can, well," as she struggled for words, he decided to take initiative. He leaned forward slowly, enough that she could lean away and opt out of it if she chose to. But she didn't, and within seconds his lips were on hers. The kiss was slow and sweet, Entrapta sitting back on her knees, remote forgotten as she scritched her nails along the short fuzz of his undercut, making him let out a sigh. He set his hands on her waist, lightly rubbing circles into her wide hips with his thumb. When they parted, panting slightly and still touching everywhere else, they laughed a little bit. 

"Would you be willing to go on a date with me?" His voice was slightly lower, smile across his lips as he stared into the eyes of the woman before him (she was looking away, at his nose it appeared, but he didn't mind).

"Hmm," her own smirk betrayed her teasing, "would you be willing to kiss me again before that date?"

He reached his left arm down, taking her thigh and dragging it over so she was sitting in his lap. "I think that could be arranged."

They spent the evening exploring each other's bodies, slowly and sweetly. They didn't go all the way, but neither of them wanted to, simply wanting to get to know the parts of each other so rarely seen. Entrapta kissed Hordak's scars, from surgeries, beatings, falls, and the like, while he ran thin fingers over her own; brought by burns from hot metal and lab accidents, as well as the occasional one that, as she bashfully explained, she'd accidentally given herself during meltdowns.

The TV remote never did end up being retrieved from the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've been waiting for! Also full disclosure! When Hordak "curses" his vitiligo, he's just embarrassed that it makes his blush more prominent, and I really only mentioned it in the same way shy white characters would be like "damn I'm pale so my blush is obvious." Just wanted to mention it since he has a skin condition, but I want his medical issues/conditions to be just as normalized as abled characters mentioning their hair or whatnot.


End file.
